Jul 21, 2014; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Braves fan Maddox Lee (7 years old), from Greenwood, S.C., does the tomahawk chop during the game against the Miami Marlins at Turner Field. The Marlins won 3-1 in extra innings. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Liles-USA TODAY Sports
Jul 21, 2014; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Braves fan Maddox Lee (7 years old), from Greenwood, S.C., does the tomahawk chop during the game against the Miami Marlins at Turner Field. The Marlins won 3-1 in extra innings. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Liles-USA TODAY Sports /
Bradley was the #15 overall selection in the 2011 draft from Georgia Tech by the Brewers. The Brewers sent him to Peoria in the Arizona Fall League, and he predictably struggled jumping that quickly into a high level of competition. Bradley through 8 1/3 innings in 5 games in the AFL, finishing with a 6.48 ERA, 1.56 WHIP, and 4/8 BB/K ratio. After the season, he was rated as the #71 overall prospect in baseball by Baseball America and #97 prospect by MLB.com
Bradley was sent to high-A Brevard County in the Florida State League in 2013. He made 20 starts, throwing 107 1/3 innings with a 5.53 ERA, 1.67 WHIP, and 43/60 BB/K ratio. Every ratio number for Bradley was worse than his AFL debut except for his HR/9 rate.
At 23, Bradley repeated at Brevard County, and he made 16 starts, throwing 78 1/3 innings, tallying a 4.14 ERA and a 1.53 WHIP while totaling a 39/58 BB/K ratio.
For a third season, Bradley started his season at Brevard County, and his performance finally warranted a promotion to AA Huntsville in the Southern League. Combined, he made 27 starts, throwing 147 1/3 innings, sporting a 3.91 ERA and 1.40 WHIP, with a 46/124 BB/K ratio.
The Brewers’ AA team changed location in 2015, and Bradley was moved to the bullpen full-time. He started with Biloxi in AA and pitched very well, but he was absolutely torched with the Brewers AAA team in Colorado Springs of the Pacific Coast League, sporting a 9.00 ERA over 26 innings at AAA. Between the levels, he had a 5.83 ERA over 43 appearances and 58 2/3 innings. He had a 1.60 WHIP and a 20/46 BB/K ratio.
The Brewers sent him back to Biloxi to start 2016. He struggled to a 6.20 ERA over 24 2/3 innings before the Brewers traded him on June 3rd to the Braves for a player to be named later or cash considerations (it’s been widely reported that the Braves intend to send cash). Bradley has pitched to a 2.84 ERA in 12 2/3 innings with Mississippi since being acquired, with a 6/15 BB/K ratio.
Bradley has a great frame at 6’3 and 225 pounds from the left side. He works with a sinking fastball that sits in the 90-94 range as a starter, but has worked more in the 93-95 range as a reliever, topping out at 97. He uses the fastball in multiple ways, with his primary fastball being a sinker, but he also cuts his fastball, and the cut fastball usually works more in the low-90s range. He has a very solid change up that mirrors the sink he gets on his fastball. His breaking pitch is a slider that gets very good late depth.
Bradley now throws purely out of the stretch, even when he started part of a double-header on June 17th. He has a compact, quick delivery to the plate with a 3/4 arm slot that in my viewing seemed to be very consistent.
One thing that I noted in his pitching was that when his slider came into play, he had a more lengthened arm path, even in the stretch. I wonder if that could be the biggest issue with him as a starter, as his 3/4 delivery does show the pitch for a surprisingly long amount of time for a delivery that isn’t dipping below shoulder depth.
Bradley works best when he’s low in the zone with all of his pitches. His cut fastball is his best offering above the belt as he can cut the ball to either side of the plate, though he does much better cutting arm side.
Bradley does stay low in his delivery, using his legs well, which is why you’ve not heard of him having arm issues in his career, but he also doesn’t get the traditional position of being tall over the ball that most sinker/slider guys want to go for. The stretch does seem to help him generate more of that angle for him.
Bradley was very successful at Georgia Tech, and perhaps getting back “home” (he’s originally from Alabama) can help him find another gear, if even late in his development. He was a tremendous talent coming out of college, a legit first-round talent. That talent is still there, and he’s flashed signs of it already with Mississippi.
He’s worked in a long relief role thus far with Mississippi, and he’s shown an ability to get good hitters out on both sides of the plate, so I do think that he could honestly be a guy who provides the type of impact to the bullpen that someone like Jonny Venters or Chris Hammond had in their best days, dominating both sides of the plate.
